‘It’s not fair’: cafe owners frustrated over exclusion from business rates cut

Business owners in England say prioritising venues selling alcohol leaves vital community spaces behind

Ferdinand Geus is proud of the positive, global impact his small speciality coffee business is having.

“Around 3,000 small, family-owned farms in Yemen rely on us – we’ve persuaded many to stop growing khat, the drug, and start growing coffee instead,” said the business manager of Sheba Coffee, which supplies Yemeni coffee beans to independent cafes across the world, including the UK.